10 ways to defeat vampires:

Practice one thing. At the end of a meeting ask the team, “What’s one simple thing we can do today that will help us create an energizing environment.” Do that one thing. Smile when you meet someone, make “I like statements” before asking for something, or, pat five people on the back, literally.

Stop into a teammate’s office and say, “I’ve been thinking about you and the three qualities you have that will take you far in your career are ….”

Call the team into the conference room for a surprise “What’s Working” meeting. If all you talk about are problems, you have a dark environment.

Ask people what they’re working on.

Go to a high performer and ask them to share something they do that others don’t.

Address an energy draining situation.

Tell people what’s important now.

Eliminate an unnecessary policy or procedure. Policies are always added. What about eliminating some?

Post pictures of teammates doing their work on the company intranet.

Call your favorite customer and ask, “What can I do for you?”

Bonus: Break a routine.

You don’t need position or status to be an energizer.

27 “E” words for leaders:

This is the “E” installment of the Dictionary for Leaders. Tomorrow is “F.” Other leadership “E” words:

I love this post, Dan. It speaks my language. One of your leadership statements sounds like a replica of what I call “the magic question” in teaching. I wrote about it in one of my books.

Pick out a student who is a challenge for you OR facing a challenge in their life. Ask yourself this magic question. “What is one thing I can do TODAY to bring some success into the life of _________? Then do it.

That is how good teachers become great teachers. By asking that one small question over and over again and then acting on it.

Exquisite and Exemplary! And I can immediately think of a few F words for tomorrow…

It is not the vampires that are the big problem, since they are not all that common. Most organizations have economic difficulties with the Zombies that these vampires somehow create, you know, the disengaged and uninvolved that are either just filling seats and taking up time or the ones that are even actively sabotaging organizational improvement efforts.

Zombies!

But my belief is that many of those are actually Slinks, the pre-zombie stage where they are not totally turned to the Dark Side and can be salvaged as productive people.